Naomi, on the right, has not yet come out and is keeping the fact that she identifies as a woman a secret. She only shares it with the other members of the association that she has set up to provide young trans people with a space where they can talk and support each other.
Amidst roars of laughter, Naomi takes out her phone and shows us photos of herself, having fun with a friend, posing for the camera, both in high heels and sequined dresses. Naomi is a year-old transgender woman, and in her country, Burkina Faso, there are very few places where she is able to assume her identity. We meet her on a February morning in Bobo-Dioulasso, the second largest city in this landlocked west African country. Here they have a place where they can talk to their peers, share their experiences and ask for advice, in a safe and caring environment.
For them, I am really the shame of the family [β¦]. They all, except my sister who supports me, detest the fact that I am homosexual. Her new name, she explains, is a tribute to the British model of Jamaican descent, Naomi Campbell. But here, trans people have to hide away. Fortunately, thanks to the internet, Naomi has access to sites and forums offering a much broader outlook.
That was, for example, how she discovered The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert , an Australian film from , written and directed by Stephan Elliott, telling the story of two drag queens and a trans performer. But online resources are no longer enough.
Setting up Transgenre Burkina Faso , which now has around 50 members, was not without its challenges. But when we said that we wanted to defend the rights of transgender people, he rejected our application.
